Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-01-13
A DOUBTFUL issue.
Supporters of the Interstate Com
merce Bill Greatly Concerned Over
Its Fate in the Senate.
William NJ. Evarts, New York's Able
lawyer, will Take a Decided
Stand Against the Measure.
Lanham Untiring in His Efforts to Secure
an Allotment of Seed for the
DrOuth Sufferers.
INTER STATE COMMERCE.

Special to the Gazette.
WASH NGTON, Jan. 12.-The fate of the
interstate commerce bill still hangs in
the balance, and no one can predict tie
time of its final passage Anew cause for
alarm has arisen, and its supporters are
greatly concerned about it The able
lawyer from New York, Mr.. Evarts, has
served notice that he will strike the
measure full in the face with
one of his long arguments
which are conspicuous always tor their
legal technicalitles, and if the senator
succeeds in lacking one of his amend
ments to the bill it will sink of its own
weight, and there will be no need of a
long or short-haul clause if Evart's opin-
ion prevails. He expects to speak to-
morrow All the grounds of his opposition
to the bill are not known, but it is
said that one of his objections is that the
measure violates the provisions of the
treaty of Washington made between the
United States and Great Britain in 1871.
1t is supposed that the portion of the bill
which Mr.. Evarts is to criticise on this
score is that requiring every railroad
company receiving freight in the United
States to be carried through for
eign country to any place
in the United States to post
up for public inspection at every station
where such freight is received schedules
showing the through rates charged
tor such freight. This section provides
that If these rates have not been made
public, such freight shall be subject to
custom duties before it is admitted into
the United States, the same as if it were
of foreign production. This provision, it
is understood, Mr.. EVarts holds to be
contrary to the thirtieth article of the
treaty of Washington, which provides
that goods may be carried from one Llace
in the United STATES territory without the
payment Of custom duties, if they are car
ried by land and in bond. Under this
treaty it is declared by others, as well
as Mr.. Evarts, that congress cannot
impose a duty of freight as proposed in
the interstate commerce bill, even as a
penalty for violating other provisions Of
the measure. 1t is likelv the presenta-
lion of this argument by Mr.. Evarts will
prolong the discussion on the bill in the
senate, for there are great many senators
who delight in long drawn contests over
nice legal points. Mr.. CulIOm who has
charge of the bill Is sure that the measur
will be put upon the passage before this
session ends, but neither he nor any other
senator seems to have any definite idea of
when a final vote will be reached.
aEFDs FOR THE DRoUTH SUFFERERS.
Special to The Gazette.
WASHINGTON, Jan l2.-Mr. Lanham
has been untrisg in his efforts to secure
liberal allotment of seeds for the drouth-
stricken districts of Texas. He appeared
before the house agricultural committee
yesterday and presented the proceedings
of the convention of county judges at
Albany recently held there. The commit
tee seemed favorably disposed toward
the measure, and Mr.. Lanham is in hopes
something may be accomplished, although
the days of the session are numbered,
and hut few measures outside of the ap-
preparation bills will pass.
TEXAS PATENTS.
special to the Gazette.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-THE following
patents were issued to Texas to-day:
Augustus A. Dial, Uvalde, car coupling;
Wallace J. Lewis, Tyler, locomotive valve
gear; Adnlph A. Ostrecker, La Grange,
corner protection for trunks; William P
Rvlander, Lockhart, bale tie; James D.
Young, assignor to himself and X. D.
Tinnen of Elein, car coupling.